A recent article in the New York Times, entitled, “No Time To Be Nice At Work”, describes the growth of rudeness and bad behaviour in the workplace over the past 20 years. The article notes:

“How we treat one another at work matters. Insensitive interactions have a way of whittling away at people’s health, performance and souls.”

Workplace Stress Takes a Toll

This explains and accounts for the frequency of Disability Insurance claims that include workplace stress as a factor in the underlying reason someone has gone off work on disability. Studies have shown that bad behaviour in the workplace exacts a high toll on people’s immune systems, and it is likely that for this reason, we see a lot of cases related to workplace stress at Share Lawyers. Major health problems have also been linked to the high stress levels at work, resulting in cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, ulcers, as well as depression and anxiety.

It seems that there may be numerous reasons for the rise of incivility at work, including, increased workload and performance targets, which leaves “no time to be nice”. However, other studies, noted in this article, indicate that workplace incivility increases the incidence of mental errors leading to costly mistakes for employers, and further compounding the heightened stress levels for employees.

Workplace Stress Is A Reality

The studies notes in the New York Times article add credence to the reality of workplace stress and the health problems they lead to, which can be used to respond to insurance companies’ attempt to deny claims based on workplace stress. Insurers frequently take the position that workplace stress is not a legitimate basis for a disability claim, but clearly, work conditions do play a significant role in worsening the health of many people.

Wherever we work, and even when people the take the time to be nice, stress is a part of life. Knowing this, I try to take time to take care of myself. I like to sit in the backyard and read my book, and I like taking my dog for a long walk. To learn more about this article, you can read it here.

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